Ross E.

Amazing asian british fusion food. Massive choice of menu but everything is really good quality. Not cheap but worth every penny. Cocktail bar in basement well worth a visit. Finding the toilets is funny as hidden doors.

Priya K.

I visited the bar downstairs and actually it kind of left an everlasting feeling, previous to my first experience when I was there. The service was spot on, our hostess made sure we were ok, had enough drinks, if we needed appetiziers etc. She was quite friendly. I went for the double decker champagne cocktail, ok so my first initial reaction was that it might be a bit heavy, like a double decker chocolate. It was actually the total opposite, tasted like a black forest gateau, just a lot lighter, mozart dark chocolate balances the flavours. You have an aroma of different notes in your mouth, the last note you are left with is the cherry liqour which is not even the prominent flavor. I like the variety of champagne cocktails on their menu, there are so many combinations, rather than your bog standard.

John B.

Crazy bear I love your hotels and I love the English cuisine at both your other establishments but unfortunately your Thai and sushi just don't hit the spot here in London. Started with sushi ., it was fishy , so we know its not fresh . The dim sum was awful , how can you possibly be so close to China town yet have learnt nothing from your neighbor's . The sticky pork ribs are about the best thing on this huge and worrying long menu Thai green curry was meh . Wagyu beef was chewy and like something you would expect from a cheap takeaway . Staff are friendly enough however we was given the check before out entrees had even arrived . This place used to be a lot of fun but unfortunately its lost its charm . A lot of empty tables early on . Why is your menu longer than one at an American diner ? Crazy bear work it out .

Wendy L.

The Crazy bear is a small chain scattered around the UK offering a menu that focuses on a range of Oriental dishes varying from Japanese, Chinese and to Thai although they also offer an afternoon menu. It's well known for their beautiful stylish decor. The Fitzrovia branch definitely contains that classy decor with its leather seats and wall panel, taxidermies at the front and elegant metal lampshade at each table. Downstairs had the more neon dark haunt surroundings and the fully glass mirrored toilets was definitely worth visiting even if you don't need to go. However compared to all the up and coming restaurants in London, it's decor is nothing spectacular and won't be winning any rewards. My best friend treated me a 12 course tasting menu described as premium although premium was a bit of an exaggeration especially for putting prawn crackers and rice as individual courses. Crispy seaweed Didn't expect crispy seaweed to be on a premium tasting menu. It was nice that it was actual seaweed and not fried cabbage but it didn't do much for texture being quite hard which turned chewy after a while. The edamame beans These were more satisfying. A nice kick of heat and saltiness from the Japanese spice and rock salt that gave its addictive flavour Shrimp crackers Another dish I didn't quite understand why it was part of the tasting menu as it has always been a complimentary dish. Still it was much welcomed as a snack before the mains came being well fried, crispy and light with nice seafood aromas. Modern style sea bass sashimi Probably the highlight dish of the meal. The quality of the sea bass was at its best, silky and almost sweet in taste. The marinade was perfect, ponzu giving it slight zesty savoury edge, fresh chilli for a nice kick and smoothed out by the creaminess of the mayonnaise. Wagyu beef tartare in mini taco shells These were also incredible. The advantage of having wagyu over any regular beef really stood out. The meat was incredibly tender and soft with beautiful sweetness coming out from the meat, balanced nicely with the sourness from the ponzu and kick from the wasabi. The taco shell gave it an interesting textural contrast to the filling and topping of mayonnaise for a creamy finish Roasted mandarin cherry valley duck. Honey roasted loin of Gloucester old spot pork Crispy belly of Gloucester old spot pork All the classic Chinese roast meats on one plate. Even though I've had this hundreds of times over it was still very refreshing to have it produced using high quality meat. The breast of duck was incredibly tender, full of flavour and moist. Crispy pork belly had a good ratio of meat to fat, bouncy and juicy which made a good contrast against the lovely crispy skin. The roasted loin was a lovely balance of sweet and savoury, succulent and also incredibly soft and tender even without the help of fat to marbleise it. They were all finish off by having a oyster soy sauce slurry poured over them which really helped the meats cling on to more moisture and flavour. Great to have with the accompanied rice. Lobster pad Thai noodles. Probably the most disappointing dish out of the meal. It wasn't bad and very edible but just lacked flavour, The lobster did not taste fresh, tempura'ed instead of steamed or grilled which meant the flavour was masked behind some greasy batter. There wasn't much meat, mostly cartilage and wasn't seasoned so was very bland. Pad Thai was very sweet and didn't deliver much on depth although it was cooked well and al dente. I expected more from a £62.50 tasting menu Chargrilled eggplant The texture was lovely, soft and gooey and in a nice balanced oyster soy slurry to keep it slimy and wet. Nice garlicky notes with a good kick to it from the fresh chillies to make things more exciting. Champagne rhubarb and Madagascan vanilla cheesecake A very nice finish to our meal. The champagne rhubarb came as a topping of jelly which was a very welcomed contrast to the creamy cheese filling. I very much enjoyed the thick smooth cheese embedded with rich vanilla notes. The biscuit base was thin, buttery and moist which did not distract it from the softness of the dish but only accentuated its creaminess. To me, the Crazy Bear is a bit outdated. Maybe 10 years ago this menu would have served its purpose in giving everyone a good tasting menu of some of the classic East Asian flavours. But today people are after something more than good but creative and breaking away from the classic dishes that are more for the Western palate but something more authentic and traditional to what you find in Asia. You would not find crispy seaweed anywhere in Asia. For a tasting menu listed as premium costing £62.50 each I did expect to be more 'wowed' but was not. It was just food cooked well. For the cost for two people I could have gone to a top end Chinese or Thai restaurant and ordered a whole duck, lobster on noodles plus starters and sides to feed four or more.

Tonique C.

So once a month, my bestie and I treat ourselves to a night out and Crazy bear was our choice for September. My friend has been there several times but it was my first time and I wanted to know what all the fuss was about! I was running late as per usual and my friend had already been patiently been waiting for 10 minutes. Upon arrival, I was greeted by the super friendly hosts who showed me to our table. To say I was starving was an understatement, and of course, my first thoughts were to flick through the menu and order! It is always nice to start with a glass of prosecco after a long day! It was around 7pm, so therefore I had been up for over 12 hours- Yes this prosecco glass was very much necessary. My friend chose to have the pornstar martini, which she highly recommends, and added that it was one of the best pornstar martinis that she had in London. I must say that the drinks came very quickly, which is a miracle in London as you are often waiting forever for your drinks! For starters, I chose the Jasmine tea smoked sticky Gloucestershire old spot pork ribs and they were gone in about 5 minutes, simply because they were so tasty. Followed by prawn tempura maki rolls and salmon sashimi- you should know by now that I absolutely adore salmon sashimi. For my main, I chose the stir-fried Aberdeen Angus beef sirloin, and I love a bit of beef, but perhaps I should have asked for the beef to be cooked medium-rare as it was very chewy and I like my steak to be more tender. However, the combinations of peppers, oyster mushrooms and oyster sauce are just mouth watering! Overall for the price of the food, it was definitely worth it, and I could not have been more stuffed. We didn't have much time but there is a cocktail bar downstairs, which seemed to be buzzing and there was a very cool DJ playing music. A few people were dancing and I too wanted to shake a leg but I had work quite early the next day, sad times. I would advise to have dinner around 7pm-8pm and then follow with drinks downstairs from 10pm onwards. Price: £££ What to wear: Smart casual (I wore a leather jacket, silk tee, skinny jean and Christian Louboutin heels) Ambience and hospitality: Staff were very attentive and witty

Matthew D.

If you're on a diet, or your stomach is the size of a small child's, then this is the perfect place for you. As might be expected in Fitzrovia, this place has a pretty snobby vibe as you walk through the restaurant - with it's impractical but "designer" furniture - and you are seated by a silent, very tall and immaculately blonde waitress, who probably wishes she was anywhere but here right now. The food is, on the whole, great. The £25 menu gets you a glass of champagne (the waitress was at pains to make clear that any additional glasses would be charged at £20 each), a beautifully cooked steak the size of a 50p coin, and a sliver of lobster which probably rivals your thumb in both length and circumference. Fortunately the a la carte menu can help you out, where a tablespoon of "sautéed seasonal vegetables" will set you back £8. This is part of their ploy... The food itself was delicious. But unfortunately I left more hungry than I was before I arrived.

Adele D.

We went here with another couple and just wanted to say I really enjoyed it. After reading a lot of reviews I was worried this was going to be a bad experience and I was going to be disappointed. I agree some of the decor was a bit worn and was slightly over priced but in general I really enjoyed it. The food was delicious and service was good. We asked for recommendations on wine and went for the Cotes Du Rhone which went well with the Ostrich. One thing is the portions are really small so you need to order a few items. Staff were friendly and the bar was low lighting and comfortable (we did have to share a table with another party). I would say it's worth a visit and if you can find a deal would make it better value for money.